Political developments in Venezuela in recent months do not redound to the credit of that troubled nation. They do not show its democratic system in a good light. The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to opposition leader María Corina Machado has shone an international spotlight on the charge that President Nicolás Maduro stole last year’s election. There is little doubt that Maduro, whose regime has presided over political repression and economic collapse, lacks both the moral and, perhaps, even the legal authority to continue in office. Ideally, he should step down and allow an elected leader to take charge. Alas, that seldom happens anywhere in the world, least of all in Latin America.
That said, how Venezuela resolves its political crisis is a matter that must be left to the Venezuelan people. There are democratic ways to protest against the continuance of an illegitimate ruler, and nations in the neighbourhood can certainly exert pressure—diplomatic, moral or economic—to ensure democratic norms are upheld. In the extreme, they may even choose to limit cooperation with Maduro’s regime, provided their actions do not harm the Venezuelan people or compromise regional stability. What is totally unacceptable, however, is the meddlesome role of the United States in what is clearly an internal Venezuelan affair. President Donald Trump’s administration has been needlessly interfering, escalating tensions through sanctions and what is effectively a naval blockade in the name of fighting drug trafficking. As reports suggest, the rumour mill in Caracas is abuzz with talks that the US may mount a military operation to overthrow Maduro. Washington’s own officials have fuelled the speculation by describing the Venezuelan President as a “narco-terrorist” and doubling the reward for his capture to a staggering $50 million.
Such actions are not only provocative; they are dangerous too. America is not the world’s super-cop, entitled to decide which governments should stand and which should fall. The world has seen this movie before—most tragically in Latin America itself. It was Washington that orchestrated the fall of Salvador Allende in Chile, crushing the first democratically elected socialist government in the region. Later, in the name of “democratising” nations, it devastated Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving behind chaos and bloodshed. The world has learnt to dread the word ‘democracy’ when it falls from American lips. For all his bluster, Trump himself tried to cling to power after losing an election, a fact that disqualifies him from lecturing others on democracy. The US would do well to stop treating Latin America as its backyard and allow the people of Venezuela to determine their destiny—free from coercion, interference, or the shadow of foreign boots on their soil. In other words, it should stop interfering.
